The Final Shot
by Julia Fernandez Hiwatari
Summary: Due to high-stress levels, Kai's not acting like himself, and when Hilary asks him about it, he only snaps at her. But she soon discovers that she's not the only one leaning on him. Learning this, she tries to lighten his load a little.


The Final Shot 

Beyblade

Kai X Hilary, the Blitzkrieg Boys

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

One-Shot

Rated T

For: **CRSWoodFerns**

"I've had enough, I can't take anymore," Hilary jumped at the abrupt, roaring scream and rattling door slam that echoed through their tiny apartment. She sighed over the wet and sudsy sink, a half-clean plate and stained sponge in her hands.

 _Oh no,_ she thought.

Her fiancé, Kai came into the kitchen, his heavy footsteps pounding on the tile as he went in.

"Hey. Welcome home," she said happily with a loving glance. After that, she went back to the dishes.

"Hey, Babe," Kai said with a breath, practically plopping down into the nearby chair. He rested his head down on his arms and groaned. He was more than just tired, he was drained in nearly every way and utterly exhausted from his demanding job.

"How was your day, Sweetie?" Hilary asked kindly, drying her dainty hands on the pale yellow cloth by the sink.

"Terrible," he replied grumpily. She sat next to him and upon doing so saw how haggard her soulmate really was.

"What happened?" she urged. She handed him a cup of steaming coffee, and after getting a soft smile, received a sweet kiss in return. Kai took a drink and felt his rigid shoulders slump instantly.

"Kai?" she urged again. She hated to let on but he had to know she was worried about him.

"The day was just bad, Honey! What more do you want to know? I just got home, leave me the hell alone," he snapped.

Kai got up, storming away, leaving Hilary to stare at the floor. She heard the shower running, so she knew he was in the bathroom.

 _When will I learn? Never pry when he first walks in the door. I'm such an idiot,_ she thought, blaming herself and regretting even asking how his day was.

Later that night, Hilary was preparing the food for dinner when she heard the familiar sound of sock-covered feet shuffling into the kitchen.

"Enjoy your nap?"

"Yeah," he said with a yawn.

"Good,"

Kai looked at the clock on the stove and saw that it was nearing 7.

"Did I really sleep for six hours?" he asked. The former blader had got home around Noon, which was rare.

"Yeah you did," he heard his fiancé say. Kai could hear the anger in the undercurrent of her happy-sounding words.

"I'm sorry, I got snippy, that I snapped. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I'm really tired, but that's still no excuse," he said after a bit of peering around the room. Hilary looked at him, done chopping the peppers and onions.

"All I did was ask how your day was, I didn't deserve to be talked to like that,"

"I know, I know and I'm sorry. I- I'll make it up to you, I promise I will. I'm just- I'm broke," he said, his eyes glistening briefly in the dim lights above their stove.

"Broke?" For a moment she thought he was saying how far in debt he was.

"I'm broken. I feel like shit," he admitted. She knew for him to admit his feelings, he was at a low point.

"What's going on? Is it your job, or...?"

Realizing what was going through her already stressed and anxious mind, Kai quickly kissed her lips. The kiss was sudden but filled with passion. The two lingered there, him holding her face until the need for air became too much. That didn't stop Kai from wordlessly boring into her eyes though.

"Kai!"

Said man was stacking and wrapping pallets full of food; getting them ready to go on trucks on route to the local supermarkets. The sounds of forklifts, honking horns and backing up forklifts were filling the ears of everyone in the warehouse. In order to keep his hearing the two-tone haired guy had earplugs in.

"Kai!"

A box of cereal was thrown at his head, and Kai didn't see it until it had knocked off a set of Jello boxes he'd spent the last hour setting up. He sent a sharp glare down to the floor and saw his boss standing there. He quickly straightened up and spun down to the ground.

"Yes, sir?" he said, removing his earplugs as he landed.

"Ryan's looking for you," At that his boss walked away.

"And take those earplugs out!" he yelled back.

 _Idiot,_ Kai thought and left his station to look for the American blonde. After doing what Ryan needed help with, the man headed for the break room.

"Hey," Kai said when he saw Tala. He found him smoking in the break room. He was shocked to find Spencer and Bryan there with him, who he noticed were sporadically splotched with gauze and bandages. Around the white strips, Kai could see bruises too and other small cuts.

"Hey, man," was all Tala said.

"What happened in here?" Kai asked. Bryan looked at him, lilac eyes tired and slightly bouncy. Kai exhaled and sat down next to his old teammates, ready to listen... again.

"Hey, Kai,"

"Hm?"

"I got a call from Mr. Yoshiro today," Kai peered up from his plate. The two were sitting at the table eating dinner. After the event with Tala, he got to go home early, which he didn't protest. His boss must've scored a date or something.

"You did?"

"Yeah, he said that you have this weekend off, along with all of next week because of something involving Tala," She was hesitant to but went ahead and asked it anyway, "Is everything okay?"

"No," he said bluntly.

"..." Realizing how that sounded, and what she must be thinking, he put his hands up defensively and said in one breath,

"I swear, it's not what it looks like, I didn't get fired or made to quit!" As much as he hated it, Kai needed the job to support himself and his wife-to-be. Kai was about to say something, but Hilary cut him off.

"I'm sick of how things have been, of everything. I want everyone over here tonight. And tell Tala no alcohol," Kai nodded. As much as he wanted a peaceful night in, this needed to be talked out and Hilary deserved to know what went down at work.

Around 9:00, there was a knock at the door and Kai reluctantly got up from the couch to answer it. When he opened it, he found the guys.

"Hey, I see you're still as slow as ever," spoke Ian. Kai mockingly crouched down to his height and spoke in a condescending tone. One that a dad would use when scolding his small child,

"Well, little man, at least I don't need a stool when pleasuring a woman." The other three nearly fell to the floor with laughter but instead went inside to see Hilary laughing too. Kai stood up and went in, a fuming Ian following behind him. Kai shut the door and stood next to Hilary while everyone else sat on the couch. Hilary looked the guys up and down but saw no sign of the bandages Kai told her about at dinner.

"Hilary wants to help you, Tala,"

"I don't need it,"

"Yeah, you do,"

"No, I don't,"

"You're pathetic,"

"Kai-"

"A vulnerable man gets offered help and doesn't take it. Even after his teammates took a beating for him. What would you call him?"

"Because of what's been going on with you, I've screamed at the woman next to me nearly every day,"

"That's not my problem,"

"It is when the boss calls her saying that we have the whole of this weekend and next week off," Tala flinched into the sofa.

"Are you serious? I'm so sorry, Hilary," On off days, at least at this warehouse, the usual pay gets cut in half. The brunette didn't say anything until a few minutes later.

"Why did you get into a fight in the break room anyway?"

"It wasn't in the break room. It was at Spencer's place this morning. I was asleep and some druggies came by wanting to do me in,"

"Before you think otherwise, Tala doesn't owe them. They broke in to get a fix. He does too, but he mostly deals. The rest of us are clean," Spencer informed.

"I woke up to Bryan screaming. Ran out to the living room and I see the junkies pistol-whipping and beating them. They'd been tied up and those men had broke Bryan's nose. After I chased them out, I told these two to leave but they refused. That's why they were with me at work,"

"We wanted to protect him," Bryan said. "Friends protect friends," he added.

"Arses, you can't do that six feet under, and you're not my lackeys," Tala said. "I'm a lost cause. Leave!"

"We're not leaving, man," Spencer said. Tala tugged at his hair angrily.

"And somehow, the boss thinks I'm a druggy too because I'm friends with Tala. That's why we have those days off. We're on 'Sick' leave so we can get help," Kai said.

Hilary pulled out her purse from beneath the chair and took out her wallet.

"How long has this been going on?" she asked.

"About eight, maybe ten months," Ian said. The ruby-eyed beauty looked at Kai and thought back to when his moodiness started. It all made sense now, he was pissed at them and worried for their safety. Mix in crappy work... yup, she got it.

"Here," Hilary held out a business card and Bryan took it.

"She's a wonderful therapist who also deals in addictions and troubled youth,"

"In other words, people like you and me," Kai added, his arms over his chest.

"We'll do anything to get him help. Thank you," Bryan said.

"Not that I don't trust you, but I'll be going with you guys to make sure he both gets and stays there,"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence guys," Tala remarked, his eyes rolling. Kai smirked at him.

"We just care for ya, man," he said.

"Yeah," Hilary said.

"Whether we want to or not,"

"Kai," Hilary scolded, hitting his arm.

Tala smiled tiredly as a laugh escaped him. He knew what Kai meant. For the first time in quite a while, he found himself feeling hopeful. Maybe he could get clean and maybe he wasn't beyond help after all.

The End.

 **I hope you like it! :) Thank you for all of your support! :)**


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